An oft-cited problem with media present and past is the lack of strong female characters. In many medieval and ancient stories, female characters are generally rare, and those that exist are often 2D stereotypes: the damsel in distress, the pure virgin, or the evil temptress. Even if a female character had some personality beyond these stereotypes, she is rarely as developed as some of the other male characters.

Modern media sought to rectify this with the introduction of the “action girl”: a female character who gets involved in fights and keeps up with the boys. However, while the trope itself may not have any problems on the surface, its execution regularly comes with a myriad of issues. 

The first main trap (often male) writers frequently fall into is this not adding any actual depth. A girl who fights can still be, and often is, a 2D cutout. This is a recurring issue in visual media such as video games, and to a lesser extent, anime, where female characters have no defining qualities other than “kicks ass” (this problem can also be seen in male characters, but it is less widespread). Quite a few video games, particularly fighting ones, feature several female characters who possess different powers and appearances (but seldom different body types), yet rarely have unique personalities. Many of these characters are also highly sexualized and depicted in revealing outfits catered to the male gaze.

There are also several issues that fall under the broad umbrella of “practicality.” Yes, there is some suspension of disbelief involved in fantasy settings, but some of these issues could be easily fixed. For example, women are commonly shown wielding ranged weapons such as bows or guns to hold their own in a fight. Bows require a significant amount of upper body strength to operate, creating a wonderful opportunity for visual media to showcase body types other than the standard rail thin figure most female characters have. Unfortunately, however, most forms of visual media conform to society’s standards of typical beauty.

Secondly, the aforementioned revealing outfits often transfer over to armor. The very point of armor is to protect its wearer from harm. While male characters are usually clad from head to toe in robust armor, female characters often are given so-called “chain mail bikinis” that wouldn’t be useful for protection. Not only is this objectifying, but it also makes no practical sense.

The third main pitfall is action girls being too “perfect.” All-around perfect characters are usually referred to as “Mary Sues.” (Granted, the term is somewhat sexist as perfect male heroes are far less likely to be called out than perfect female ones, but my point still stands.) This also falls under the practicality umbrella: although some people are gifted, characters who do not struggle much to gain their skills are not only impractical, but also bland. 

The fourth main issue with the “action girl” trope is the way it praises traditionally masculine traits but puts down traditionally feminine traits. An action girl is no weaker for caring about her family, a conventionally feminine quality, and a healer, a conventionally feminine archetype, can be just as cool and important as a fighter.

A great example of the contrast between the “action girl” being done right vs done wrong can be seen in a comparison between League of Legends and its animated show Arcane. League of Legends is a fighting game with a relatively simple plot: players have several champions who try to destroy the other team’s crystal. Arcane, by contrast, is a well-written show that masterfully explores complex themes. Arcane is meant to be the prequel that explores the characters’ backstories, and the main arc of Arcane is the relationship between two sisters, Violet (Vi) and Powder (later Jinx). 

In the game, while the male characters have a wide range of designs, the female characters mostly fit the same mold, with similar faces and bodies. In the show, Vi is a muscular woman, while Jinx is a skinnier teenager. 

Their personalities are also far more fleshed out in the show. In the game, Vi is an Enforcer who punches well. In the show, Vi is still hot-headed and still punches well, but also cares deeply for her friends, her adopted dad, and her sister. She will do anything for them. Not only is this a good instance of giving action girls distinct personalities, but it’s also a great example of how a more traditionally masculine-coded female character can also have more traditionally feminine traits and not be any weaker for it. 

However, the biggest change is in Jinx. In the game, Jinx is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype. Her fascination with blowing things up for fun and the insanity that causes it is depicted as comical. In the show, however, Jinx’s mental issues are not played for comedy and are instead depicted very seriously. Her skinny figure is not a product of sexualization but is rather used to illustrate her as unhealthy. Along with her mental issues, this only adds to the tragedy. Her propensity for blowing things up comes from deep-seated abandonment and self-esteem issues, leading her to believe that if she can’t make things go right, she should simply cause chaos. All of these qualities transform Jinx from simply a 2D male fantasy into a tragic, well-developed 3D character.

Arcane also serves as a beacon of hope for this archetype – Riot Games, the maker of both League of Legends and Arcane, recognized that the representations of Vi and Jinx in the game were not the best and changed them for the better in the show. In addition, Arcane was loved by audiences and critics alike, proving that writers do not need to cater to a male gaze to be successful. There is potential to change the problems with this trope: most of these issues are not with the archetype itself, but rather its execution. If more media in the future follow Arcane’s example, we can have more cool female characters — who are nuanced as well.